Lance Armstrong has tested positive for using performance enhancing drugs in 1999 the French newspaper L'Equipe reported Tuesday. The seven-time Tour de France winner reportedly used the banned drug EPO according to new tests of urine samples taken in 1999 when he won his first Tour de France.

Six B-samples taken in 1999 have been found to contain the blood boosting drug EPO (erythropoietin) according to tests from the French lab at Châtenay-Malabry the French sports daily reported.

The A-samples were not saved, so the recent tests had to be taken on the secondary samples.

In 1999 labratories did not yet have the technology to measure for EPO and the A-samples were not saved so the recent tests had to be taken on the secondary samples.

In a statement on Monday, prior to the story's publication, the Discovery-Channel star denied charges of substance abuse calling the L'Equipe claims "tabloid journalism."

"Yet again, a European newspaper has reported that I have tested positive for performance enhancing drugs," read a statement from Armstrong's personal website.

"Unfortunately, the witch hunt continues and [L'equipe"s] article is nothing short of tabloid journalism.

"I will simply restate what I have said many times: I have never taken performance enhancing drugs."

After the book "LA Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong" was published accusing Armstrong of doping, the Tour champion opened libel proceedings against the book's author David Walsh and issued a similar statement denying any doping charges.

The Texas-born 33-year-old retired from Cycling after winning his seventh Tour de France in July.

This is b/s. What have the french got against him? The traces of EPO would have been left over in his system from his cancer treatment.
It seems to me that the french have something against him: Confidis, the team which he had signed for before he got cancer, went back on there word of sticking by him and dumped him from the team whilst he was under going chemo; the french media have continually claimed Armstrong to be a drugs cheat-even though he has taken a supposed 'random' test more times than any other rider. This supposed drug cheat also puts his own money into the sport to improve and do more drug testing-not the actions of a cheat if you ask me.
I wish they would just give him credit for what he really is: "a sporting legend".

During 90's ALL the professional cyclists (and many amateurs) assumed Epo. I'd like to think that nowadays the situation is changed, but the average speed of races is superior to that of those years, so I fear they have simply found another type of dope...

This is b/s. What have the french got against him? The traces of EPO would have been left over in his system from his cancer treatment.
It seems to me that the french have something against him: Confidis, the team which he had signed for before he got cancer, went back on there word of sticking by him and dumped him from the team whilst he was under going chemo; the french media have continually claimed Armstrong to be a drugs cheat-even though he has taken a supposed 'random' test more times than any other rider. This supposed drug cheat also puts his own money into the sport to improve and do more drug testing-not the actions of a cheat if you ask me.
I wish they would just give him credit for what he really is: "a sporting legend".

what has EPO to do with cancer? it's a medicin for the kidneys, for people with diabetes not for cancer patients lol. And it's cofidis, not confidis.

A bit surprised he took EPO, i thought he was on better stuff Well they had six more names that were "caught" of course it seems impossible to find those names probably the rest of the top ten during that year

[I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.]

[Once we were called secret admirers, now we are just called stalkers.]

what has EPO to do with cancer? it's a medicin for the kidneys, for people with diabetes not for cancer patients lol. And it's cofidis, not confidis.

A bit surprised he took EPO, i thought he was on better stuff Well they had six more names that were "caught" of course it seems impossible to find those names probably the rest of the top ten during that year

Yeah, it increases red blood cells. It says in his book that the drug was contained in some of chemo he was given- I think it would improve oxygen levels in his blood.
How can anyone can say this guy is cheat?

BTW so what if I spelt Cofidis wrong?? They are a bunch of wankers for going back on their word.

I'm not sure about this, but i think the tests that are currently in use can only track the use of EPO for a very short period of time (we're talking days here, not even weeks, let alone months or years) so i doubt it's residu of his chemotherapy.

[I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.]

[Once we were called secret admirers, now we are just called stalkers.]

This is b/s. What have the french got against him? The traces of EPO would have been left over in his system from his cancer treatment.
It seems to me that the french have something against him: Confidis, the team which he had signed for before he got cancer, went back on there word of sticking by him and dumped him from the team whilst he was under going chemo; the french media have continually claimed Armstrong to be a drugs cheat-even though he has taken a supposed 'random' test more times than any other rider. This supposed drug cheat also puts his own money into the sport to improve and do more drug testing-not the actions of a cheat if you ask me.
I wish they would just give him credit for what he really is: "a sporting legend".

He puts his own money to improve drug testing isn't a good argument, it's just maybe a bribe so that the uci let him do what he wants. The rider (Mayo) he feared the most has seen his team euskatel under heavy uci scrutineering.
Hincapie who is a sprinter was riding with the best in the hill
I don't know how you can really think than someone can be 3x stronger after a cancer than he was in good health

He puts his own money to improve drug testing isn't a good argument, it's just maybe a bribe so that the uci let him do what he wants. The rider (Mayo) he feared the most has seen his team euskatel under heavy uci scrutineering.
Hincapie who is a sprinter was riding with the best in the hill
I don't know how you can really think than someone can be 3x stronger after a cancer than he was in good health

Right, the reason he was 3 times stronger is because he fucking trained hard.
He was preparing on mountain courses that a normal cyclist would perhaps do 3 times a year; Armstrong did them 3 times a month.
What I dont understand is that during the 1999 tour Armstrong was the most tested rider!!! No-one submitted as many test results then Armstrong,each result was negative.
It seems to me that the french media have a massive witch hunt out against him.

He tested positivive on corticoïdes and antidated a prescription of the doctor.
Epo could not be detected in 99. The result of sample positive are anonymous, there are only the number of the sample.
They could say Armstrong was positive because on the prescription of the doctor, there were the number of the sample involved.

Yes, Lance had to take EPO during his cancer treatment, but there's no way traces of that would be left in his blood that long after.

I do believe Lance, just like every other rider, took some dodgy substances. Frankly, the speeds at which riders today ride are almost inhuman, I don't think it's possible to ride for three weeks like that without taking any performance enhancers. The line between what's legal and what's not is pretty fine though, so it's very tempting to cross. Besides, if you're not prepared to cross that line, you're not very likely to get a prof contract anyway.

Saying he never tested positive is a weak excuse. The only ones getting caught these days are smaller, lesser known riders who don't have a doctor looking over them, telling them when to take the drugs and how much. When a bigger name gets caught, it's usually not through a blood test but by house searches, border controls discovering all sorts of illegal drugs in the cars of wives or coaches, etc. Big riders simply don't test positive because they're professionals, they know HOW to take drugs and how to deliver negative test results.

Still, I do feel this is a case of the Equipe going on a witch hunt. If they go after Lance, they should go after all the other riders as well. And I'm still convinced that should all riders ride drug free, Lance would still come on top. Lance didn't win 7 tours because he was on dope while the others weren't. They're all taking drugs, so it's still almost a level playing field (not completely since some teams will have access to better and more advanced drugs than others).